/ 13 March 2012

I’m innocent, insists Majola

I'm Innocent

Cricket South Africa (CSA) boss Gerald Majola has pleaded his innocent after a ministerial inquiry recommended he be suspended and made to repay a R1.75-million bonus payment, according to a report on Tuesday.

“… everybody knows that I declared the money at a board meeting. The only thing I did not do was to put it in writing,” Majola told the New Age newspaper.

He said the inquiry had taken its toll on him.

“I don’t know what’s going on. This is a very difficult time in my life. These things do happen.

“I’ve been involved in cricket administration for 12 years and I have never in my life faced a disciplinary committee,” he said.

Majola returned to his office on Monday after attending an International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai.

The CSA board said it would meet on Saturday to discuss the recommendations of the inquiry that it failed to implement findings by auditing firm KPMG.

The time and venue of the meeting would be decided only after Wednesday’s management committee meeting, CSA spokesperson Michael Owen-Smith said on Monday.

The board meeting was scheduled in response to the report made to the CSA on Thursday by the inquiry, which was appointed by Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula in November 2011 and headed by retired judge Chris Nicholson.

CSA had also said the board would make a decision on the way forward and report back to Mbalula by April 9.

However, with growing impatience from both the cricket fraternity and members of the public, it could respond earlier. — Sapa